What Lurks in the Darkness?
by cosmic-divinity
Summary: Near the mountains of the north in a secluded village in the great forest, a colossal dragon crashes in from the sky, causing the landscape to change dramatically and creating a forest of shadows sunk down below the current elevation of the village. Now Yugi, a young magician, soon learns the dragon's secret while aiding a knight in finding it in the darkness of the depths.
1. Chapter 1

Just a one shot for now, but I'll work on it once I get my other fic done!

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The darkness would grow and grow the deeper one ventured. The forest had forever been transformed that day. It held secrets upon secrets and if someone ventured too far, everyone knew they would never see them again. Unlike the humans who remained the same, the fauna adapted rapidly. They grew, and their coats turned so white that they glowed within the new darkness. Trees became colossal sentinels, silent and seeming to have eyes of their own. Light no longer penetrated the deepest parts of the forest like it used to. It was this light that used to guide people through it, now it was as if the forest itself had transformed and became a hostile place full of shadows and unfulfilled promises of discovery and adventure. It became a sea of silent, watchful trees and great beasts to match them. They had tried to bring one of these creatures out from the darkness of the drop off, but it soon disappeared as soon as it reached the light. They were like phantom images that flickered in front of someone, but couldn't be touched. It was as if nature was taunting them. It could show them something beautiful, something hopeful to bring them out of the abyss only to take it away just as quickly. It was indeed a cruel time.

The village was located up in the northern forests near the great mountains that separated the land from the wastes of the north. It was a way point for travelers, subsisting off the land when it wasn't covered in frost during the long winters. The forests used to be a safe place until the dragon arrived and brought with it its curse. There are only a few left who recall the dragon's arrival. It was a fury scarlet like burning flame. The horror had multiple mouths that breathed a terrible breath. It wiped out nearly all of their crops, and it had already been a bad harvest. Its long, serpentine body slithered about through the sky. Its mighty wings brought down acres of forest. From what they could see, it came from the sky, high above from the heavens. With a great explosion that sounded like the Earth itself would crack in half, it crash landed far off into the forest. That was when the dark transformation of the land around the village began to change. With the crash, the ground sunk deep into the Earth save for the village. It was the only part of the great forest that remained on the same elevation it had. Only about an acre into the woods remained the same while the crash had created what most called "the drop off." The ground suddenly dropped off into a chasm. Nobody thought that anything alive in the forest could have survived that, but a few months later, explorers who dared to explore some of the deep chasm reported seeing gigantic deer, wolves, and any other forest creature they could imagine. They also glowed brightly in the dark. The sudden change in the land brought about many from far and wide. With help from neighboring towns, a road was made that snaked its way through the drop off area so that people could still travel in and out of the village. It was a treacherous and difficult road to travel due to the sides crumbling into the abyss from time to time, not to mention the dragon. Those who went into the safe acre, have said that they've heard deep growls and sounds of a dragon somewhere deep within the chasm. No one dared to disturb it besides foreign knights who visited for the challenge. Up to this date, any who went in seeking the dragon have never returned. The villagers figured they were either lost to the darkness or the dragon itself.

Yugi was a boy who grew up in a time when the void in the forest was normal, being only seven when it happened. It had been ten years since it first formed, and by now, many were used to the new landscape. The threat from the dragon was still very real, but since it had not been seen since, many didn't worry about it anymore. Yugi lived on the edge of the village with his grandpa. They grew some crops right outside of their house. Since the growing season was so short, Yugi was actively practicing magic so they could still make a decent living. His training was hard work, but it paid off being the only one with those skills in town. People all over the village would give him various jobs. Some among the village weren't very fond of his magic, calling it witchcraft sometimes. He supposed it had to do with the dragon. That thing had obviously had powerful magic in order to make the landscape change like this. Currently, Yugi was working on a spell to be able to traverse the darkness of the forest. It would benefit everyone greatly if they could venture into the chasm without fear of getting lost.

Once he was done with his usual chores, he waved to his grandpa before running outside. The crisp clean air filled his lungs as he happily walked around the village. The peacefulness here was what he loved. It was hard to imagine such a calamity had happened only ten years ago when he was only seven. All that he remembered was the terrible tremors as he clung onto his grandpa, not daring to open his eyes. The calamity had devastated hunting grounds and small farm lands that they used. They were forced to create a small plot of fertile land near their house. Knowing that wouldn't be enough, Yugi decided to turn his hobby of studying spells into something more serious. Everything seemed to be normal today, and he hoped he had some people in need of magic.

"Why are you denying me the right I have to slay the beast? I've travelled far, and I didn't come here to walk away empty handed."

Yugi turned his head when he heard an unfamiliar and clearly very angry voice. He peeked around a corner to see a knight standing in the town square and talking with the town elder. Yugi couldn't remember the last time he saw a knight show up here. He figured most of them had given up since none so far have even come close to the dragon.

"Every knight that goes into the forest has never come out. I won't send a young man to his untimely death."

"You act as if I've never faced a dragon before. Let me tell you that I've faced three. I think that more than qualifies me to go after this one unless you people want to live in fear forever. I suppose that's up to you."

"Please, Sir Seto. I urge you not to go past the drop off. The only thing there is the darkness and the beast."

Yugi watched as the elder pleaded, even kneeling on the ground to try to persuade the knight otherwise, but he wasn't having any of it.

"Don't worry. I assure you I won't be gone long."

Yugi knew there was no way this knight would make it out of the forest. He may not even reach the dragon. From what Yugi knew, people who went in could spend their whole lives trying to make their way through, following the glowing creatures that only led them astray. His spell wasn't quite perfected yet, but it would be better than nothing for this knight.

"Hey, wait up..Sir Seto, right?" In a last minute decision, Yugi ran up to the knight.

"What do you want, shortie? I'm on an urgent mission right now. I don't have time to chat."

"You want to find the dragon, right? I'm a..magician of sorts..in training that is. I guarantee you you won't make it even close to the dragon without my help."

"And what could you possibly do?" Seto sighed but humored Yugi for a minute by stopping.

"I'm currently working on a light spell that will make it possible to travel through the forest past the drop off point. Like I said, it's not perfect yet, but it should be enough to help you find your way. Please, I'd do anything to perfect this spell and help the people of my village. Because of all that's happened, their all so afraid of the dark. Even when it turns to night, nobody walks around outside. So, please let me help. I don't want us to be helpless to this beast anymore." Yugi's fists were clenched and eyes screwed shut, expecting a "no" from Seto. He held his breath as he waited for an answer, though Seto seemed to be taking his sweet time.

"Fine. Just don't slow me down," he said bluntly and continued walking.

"Oh, of course! I already have the stuff I need too, so let's go!"

Yugi had only been past the drop off point once before on a dare. He had barely made it back out when he felt like the darkness was clamping onto him like deadly fangs. Because of that, he stuck close behind Seto as they began the descent. As they walked, the light became dimmer and dimmer. He watched as the trees grew enormous and blocked out the sun with their thick canopies. At first, wind blew and rustled the trees while birds chirped from above. Now, that was replaced by silence like a solemn grave yard. It wasn't long before the stranger animals of the forest appeared starting with a stag the size of a house and glowing brilliantly. What was strange was how its hooves didn't seem to make any sort of sound. It walked past them in complete silence. Yugi was in such awe and fright that he hadn't noticed how close he had inched up to Seto.

"Give me some space, runt," Seto muttered, though the sudden darkness and strange creatures was already starting to throw him off as well. "That spell you were going on about earlier could really come in handy right now, you know?"

"R-right..spell," Yugi stammered. He pulled out a piece of charcoal with a shaky hand. He steadied it with his other hand for a moment before drawing a magical circle onto that hand. Muttering some ancient words to himself, soon a brilliant orb of light appeared in his hand, attaching itself to the sacred geometry of the circle.

"There. Looks like it's here to stay. Now, we should be able to find our way through the dark."

The strange creatures shied away from the bright light, leaving Seto and Yugi completely alone or so it seems.

"Look at this. The dragon won't be able to hide in the darkness for much longer." Seto knelt down to study the huge marks on the ground. It looked as if something huge raked the ground with giant claws. "It seems it's been relying on the darkness to keep people from finding it, but that's about to change. Come on and keep up."

Yugi ran as fast as his legs could carry him as Seto suddenly took off, following the various claw marks and indents in the ground. After running for what felt like forever to Yugi, he crashed right into Seto when the knight suddenly stopped in his tracks. Once Yugi recovered and opened his eyes again, he gasped at seeing light this far into the drop off zone. Sunlight shone down on one spot amid all the darkness. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw a red, serpent looking thing resting under the grotto that the sun shone down on. Its eyes met theirs since their footsteps had disturbed it from its slumber. It was much smaller than Yugi had thought it would be. He hadn't seen it on the day it appeared and crashed, but from the stories, it sounded like it was huge. From here, it looked to be only a bit bigger than a horse. It looked absolutely exhausted, barely able to get its head up to look at them. It only managed for a few seconds before collapsing onto the ground.

"This is perfect. Looks like it's weak. I would've expected it to gain strength after ten years, but perhaps the crash was just as detrimental to the dragon. Now, it's mine." Without a second thought, Seto drew his sword and went running at the weakened dragon.

Yugi wasn't sure what made him run after Seto and closer to the dragon, but something inside was telling him this wasn't right.

"Wait! It doesn't look like it can fight back!"

"That's the point. It's better that way."

With a last bit of strength, Yugi sprinted ahead and put himself inbetween Seto and the dragon. He trembled as he could feel its hot breath on his back, but it didn't move from its spot. Yugi held up his hands to stop the other.

"This isn't right! It's defenseless."

"Out of my way, pipsqueak. Who knows what that thing will do to you if you stay there. Don't you want to end the suffering of your village? Taking down this beast will do that."

"No!" Of course Yugi wanted to help his village, but something just wasn't right here. Gathering his courage, he turned around to face the dragon. The beast simply looked back at him with tired eyes rimmed red and blood shot. "It's okay. We'll hear you out first, okay?" With a deep breath, Yugi leaned forward and hugged the dragon's snout. It felt like one of the stupidest decisions of his life. Who in their right mind would even come near a deadly dragon without any sort of weapon? Yugi stayed there stubbornly despite all of Seto's protests and demands. A warm light engulfed him, and the dragon felt like it was changing in his arms. Soon after, he was no longer hugging onto a scaly snout but another warm body. When he opened his eyes, he blinked a few times in disbelief, as he held a young man in his arms. He looked like the people of the southern kingdoms. His darker skin was beautiful in the sun light. Scarlet eyes met Yugi's deep violet ones as they looked at each other. Yugi knew of ancient curses but none that could turn a human into a dragon or vice versa.

"Thank..you.." the other whispered before passing out in Yugi's arms.

"What..in the hell did you just do? That..that was a dragon.." Seto gazed at them in disbelief. "Of course, the moment I'm close to taking down the dragon it turns into a human. Lead me back to the village, magician. I've had enough of all this hocus pocus for today."

Yugi somehow convinced Seto to carry the human? Dragon? Yugi wasn't sure how to refer to him right now, but he knew he needed some medical help. With his hand illuminated again, they made their way back to the village.


	2. Chapter 2

The people of the town cheered when they noticed Seto and Yugi appearing from the woods. There weren't many who made it out of the depths, so it was practically a miracle anytime it happened. However, the excitement was quickly turned to confusion when they noticed the unconscious young man that the knight was carrying on his back. He was clearly from the south wearing only a light tunic that was ripped, dirty, and burned at the edges, clearly not something someone up north would wear due to the chill from the mountains. He looked like he had been in the fight of his life.

"Perhaps they saved him from the beast. He looks like a noble..maybe he was kidnapped by the dragon."

"Sir Seto must have slayed it. Why else would they be able to return?"

Those were many among the whispers Yugi heard as they walked by groups of people. Yugi gulped, feeling a lump beginning to form in his throat. Everyone looked so hopeful. They probably thought the dragon was vanquished, not knowing what really happened.

"Please tell me your place isn't much farther. This dragon boy reeks," Seto said indignantly.

"It's not far. It's that house right by the small hill. I know you're not enjoying this, but it was good of you to carry him back here."

"Why? Once the people here find out what he really is they'll tear him apart. He's entirely responsible for what happened here. I'm not sure how a monstrous dragon turned into this guy, but I intend to find out."

"Just promise me you'll keep it a secret for now." Yugi stopped Seto by standing right in front of him not caring how the knight practically towered over him. He held out his hand which glowed a faint purple. Faint ruins ran over his skin like tiny snakes slithering through the grass. "This is a promise spell. You'll promise to keep what he really is a secret until I break the spell. It's for his safety," he said, gesturing to the unconscious man.

"Fine, whatever. As long as I find out myself," Seto said with a scoff and quickly shook Yugi's hand. "I have no connection to this place. It's not like I'd just blab about dragon boy right out in the open."

"The spell is set then, and please try to refrain from saying 'dragon' out loud like that with everyone around."

Yugi's grandpa was out tending their small fields currently, allowing them to get into the house without being noticed. It was obvious that his grandpa would notice the stranger lying in the cot in Yugi's room, but he'd deal with that later. Once he was set down in the cot, Yugi acted quickly, grabbing some cloth and a bucket of water. Using a simple fire spell, he conjured a blue flame to heat the water. He began applying some simple salves to any injuries he could see.

"I'll leave you be to tend to him. Let me know right away the moment he wakes up. I have plenty of questions for him," Seto said, starting to take his leave.

"And what if he doesn't remember anything? There's always a possibility of memory loss, especially with curses."

"If that's the case, then I'll make him remember. He has some explaining to do, and I will get the reward I deserve from this somehow. Later."

Yugi felt the air around him lighten once Seto left. The man carried a serious aura. His ambitions were admirable as a knight's should be, but it carried an air of negativity as well. It made everything feel heavy. Ever since he started studying magic, Yugi found himself more in tune with the general mood and aura around him. Each person had a unique aura according to their ideals and personalities. This stranger's, by far, was one of the most mysterious ones. He could sense terror, freedom, and a heavy sadness all emanating from this person who was once a giant dragon.

"What happened to you to make you this way?" Yugi asked, mostly to himself.

A small glint from the stranger's chest caught Yugi's eyes. The light from the window was catching on something shiny and metallic: a necklace. Inspecting the writing on it, Yugi saw it was in one of the southern languages. With curiosity fueling him, he scoured his book shelf and found his book on different dialects. By skimming through a few pages on the southern kingdom ones, he finally found a match. He began to translate it using the charts in his book.

"A..t..Atem.." Yugi sounded out. "Maybe it's a name, his name maybe?"

He wasn't entirely sure, but it was a start at least.

 _It felt like the darkness was consuming him, the darkness that he had created himself. That day..he had been so desperate and unaware of the strength he wielded. "You will be the ruin that brings despair. You will become an embodiment of evil. Since you welcome the darkness and go so far as to brag about it, let's see if you can handle the real thing when you become one of the most dangerous things in the world, the evil doer who brings misfortune, the force that children fear in fairy tales," they had said. Before he knew it, he was destroying buildings, setting fire to farm lands while being chased by something..but what? He wracked his mind as he tried to remember. All he could recall was everything seeming so much smaller, and his voice..it was his own voice but it sounded like the most frightening thing in existence. He didn't want this. He had been that way for so long, he had lost all hope of being who he used to be._

The first sound Yugi heard was the cot tipping over as he was in the main room cooking up some soup. He cast a quick spell on the ladle so that it would keep turning the soup. He couldn't help but feel a jump of excitement at knowing the other was awake. There was so much he wanted to know, but he had to be careful. His health and well being came first after all. When Yugi peeked into the room, he found that the cot had indeed toppled over onto its side with the young man lying on the ground and visibly trembling. When their eyes met, his eyes were still as irritated and bloodshot as they were when Yugi had stared back at the dragon.

"Oh, sorry! Here, let me help you." Yugi quickly ran over and helped him back up onto the cot with a gentle touch, not sure if he was hurt anywhere. "Oh, right, can you understand me? I know you're from the southern kingdoms, and we're obviously up north near the mountains."

"I..can understand you. I'm fluent in a few of the northern languages," the other said in a soft voice. He sounded weak and frightened, his voice a little more than a whisper.

"Oh, good! I'm Yugi by the way. I noticed your necklace..would your name happen to be Atem? I really hope I'm saying it right." Yugi couldn't help but blush in embarrassment at possibly pronouncing it wrong.

"No..you're saying it perfectly. That is my name." Atem's voice was hesitant, taking a few seconds to answer as if he was in some kind of fog.

As Yugi gave him a check up, looking over his body for any injuries and applying salves and a few minor spells when necessary. He couldn't help but admire the deep scarlet color of his eyes, like rubies that were brought down from the mountains.

"O-oh! Hey, it's alright. You're okay now," Yugi stammered, seeing the tears. He had probably been staring for too long.

Atem's head slowly sank, his forehead landing squarely on Yugi's chest. It was then that Yugi noticed just how much Atem was trembling. His muscles were tight, veins popping upwards from his skin. Soon after, heavy sobs wracked his body, not able to contain them any longer.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Inflict upon me any punishment you deem necessary. I deserve all of the scorn from everyone here," Atem sobbed, though it was muffled slightly by Yugi's shirt.

Yugi patted Atem's back a bit awkwardly. It wasn't what he was expecting. The weight of the sorrow in the room was reaching overwhelming levels. Yugi felt like the floor would collapse beneath them, sending them down to the very depths of the Earth, but he endured it. If they were to open up discussion, it was better for Atem to start by letting it all out. It was truly the crushing sadness of a dragon who had been lost and alone in the very darkness he had created.


	3. Chapter 3

Atem could hardly believe the boy sitting in front of him could even look at him with even a hint of kindness. He didn't deserve any of it. He was still piecing together his memories, but he knew one thing for sure: he was the cause of the destruction around this village. He wasn't used to feeling the smoothness of his skin instead of the rough, sharp feeling from scales. He felt so small..so vulnerable. It had been so long since he had been human again. Despite being human, his throat still felt like a dragon's like it was coated in a fiery substance. He was afraid to cough or sneeze for fear of flames erupting from his mouth. Everything just seemed so much bigger now, and he could still feel the darkness within himself swirling around like a great beast just below the surface.

"So, do you remember anything? From before you were a dragon I mean. I'm guessing you're from the southern kingdoms," Yugi said, giving Atem a bright smile.

"Yes, um, I was a prince. I'm pretty sure at least. My memory is still foggy. I'm trying my best to remember why I was turned into a dragon, but they just won't come to me." It was odd, but he felt a twinge of comfort just from Yugi's smile alone. He already knew the boy had a powerful magic within him. How else could he explain how he had just turned Atem from a dragon back to a human. He had prepared himself to never be a human again. There were sometimes when he almost succumbed to the beastly desires of the dragon, but part of him clung onto his human self. "Sorcerer." That word sounded eerily familiar. Maybe a sorcerer or magician of some sorts had something to do with his transformation.

"A prince, huh? I've never met a prince before," Yugi chuckled with his own adorable grin. "Well, that's okay. I wouldn't expect you to remember everything. We'll give it some time."

Yugi's smile soon faded when something hit the nearby window. Atem watched as Yugi ran to the window and gasped at what he saw.

"What is it?" Atem asked, starting to get up even though his legs felt as heavy as boulders.

"That Kaiba..he must have spread news about our finding you. There are a bunch of people gathering outside with Kaiba out in front," Yugi said through gritted teeth. "I told him to give you some time to recover. I'll go disperse them. You just rest."

"It's alright. All of this is my fault. It's my responsibility to face them. It's what I should do after all the damage I've done." Atem managed to get back onto his feet. His burned up tunic fluttered a bit at the slight movement. With a deep groan, he willed himself to walk forward. His body was heavy and unwilling to move after such a drastic change. He wobbled as he walked, still getting used to walking with two legs again. It almost felt like his wings were still there like ghostly vestigial structures even though no wings were there. His scarlet eyes were focused on the door ahead of him, and he pushed it open with the little strength he had.

The roar from the crowd quieted instantly as soon as Atem stepped out of the house. His torn and burnt tunic made him look like he had just come out of a warzone. His breath felt hot, burning almost; in fact, little glowing cinders were coming out of his mouth and floating up into the clear the blue sky as if there was a fire inside his throat. He didn't like this at all. He was human now. He was sure of that, but it seemed that not everything about him was all human. As Atem stepped forward, everyone there took a few steps back not sure what to make of this dragon boy.

"Seto! Why'd you have to go and tell the whole town?" Yugi shouted as he ran out of the house, protectively standing in front of Atem.

"I thought they had a right to know that the one responsible for all this was right here in town. Why are you trying to protect him? If anything, he owes this town some answers for all he's done," Seto said, staying his usual stoic self.

There were shouts of agreement from the crowd. Yugi was about to say something else, but Atem placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright. He's right. All of this is my fault, and I need to own up to it."

He willed himself to keep moving forward until he was only a few feet away from the crowd. He fell into a kneeling position mostly to apologize but partly because he couldn't stand up anymore. He just wanted all of this to stop.

"I know there aren't enough 'I'm sorry's' that I could say to make up for all that I've done. I confess that I can't seem to remember why I crash landed here. I'm still trying to figure that out myself. I don't deserve any mercy from any of you. I've ruined your livelihood. I know that. Do what you want with me. Punish me a way that all of you deem most fitting. You can burn me at the stake, whatever you want. My own body seems to hate me too, so that would be an act of mercy." Tears welled up in Atem's eyes as his body shook. Every time he swallowed some saliva, he felt his throat burn with the intensity of dragon flame. He didn't dare look up at anyone. It was their decision on what to do. He was done, defeated. If they wanted to treat him like a dragon and slay him, then that would be okay. He wasn't even sure if he'd be welcomed back home. He must've been transformed into a dragon for a reason, though he doubted it was under his father's orders.

"I've heard enough of your sorry little pity speech." Atem felt a fist closing around the top of his tunic and suddenly lifted him into the air. His hands darted down to the bottom of his tunic, pulling it down to keep it from lifting up too high. His scarlet eyes met Seto's icy blue ones. "You're a dragon, aren't you? Or were one I suppose. Fight back! I find no pleasure in slaying something that has given up."

"I've done my fighting and struggling. I'm done. The least I can do is making it up to this town by letting them decide my fate," Atem said, his voice quiet with most of his strength gone.

"Bullshit! I came here for a real fight, so get up and fight!"

His other hand balled up into a fist and promptly dug into Atem's stomach with a hard blow. Reacting to the hit, Atem lurched forward while still being held in the air. He couldn't hold back the flames anymore. The fist to his stomach caused a burst of deep red and purple flames to erupt from his mouth, dissipating into the air soon after. This made Seto drop him right away, taking a few careful steps back.

"So, you do still have some abilities from when you were a dragon. How interesting."

"Please, stop," Atem choked out between heaving breaths. Drool dripped from his mouth as he managed to sit up. His eyes watered heavily now, and his lips burned slightly. The flames were gone, but it felt like they were still there, swirling around him. "Please..have mercy.."

"That's enough!" Yugi knelt next to Atem. He wrapped an arm around his waist and slowly helped him up. Atem was grateful that he was there. He had probably scared all these people enough. All he wanted to do was hide away right now. The fire in his belly continued to warm him, but the cold wind from the mountains made him shiver, going right through the thin fabric of his burnt up tunic. "I think he's been through enough today, don't you? Have you no mercy? He's not a dragon anymore."

"I bet to differ. He just breathed fire. I'm not done here, sorcerer." Seto continued to follow them as Yugi walked Atem back into the house.

"He breathed fire because you punched him in the stomach."

Atem smiled slightly when he saw Yugi slam the door before Seto could get closer.

"Sorry about him. I think he just needs some time to calm down, and you need to rest."

"I'm sorry that I'm such a mess right now. I'm just confused, and I'm terribly sorry for what my actions have caused," Atem sighed and was grateful to be in the bed again.

"People are kinder and more understanding here than you think. I'm sure an apology is all they want, and they'll understand once they get to know you more, hopefully Seto too. I think he's good deep down. He just gets caught up in things easily." Yugi put a mug of hot tea in Atem's hands.

Atem happily drank it, feeling warmer already. After he finished, his eyelids felt heavy, and his body felt weak. His eyes slowly closed until he drifted off to sleep again, still feeling that fire burning within him.


	4. Chapter 4

Once Atem had fallen asleep, Yugi made sure to cast a small healing spell over him, hoping it would help somewhat. He spent some time reading about curses in one of his books but couldn't find anything on the magnitude of the curse on Atem. He didn't even know of any curses like that where the effects could still carry over even when the person was transformed back into a human. It seemed that he managed to get Atem back as a human, but he still had some abilities of a dragon. What would really help would be Atem remembering how this happened to him. It seemed that it was going to be much more complicated than that. He watched as a ray of sunlight from the window shone over some of Atem's face. A smile crossed his face to see how peaceful he looked. He deserved so much better than this.

A series of knocks at the door tore him away from the concentration he had on the book of curses. He rolled his eyes, knowing exactly who it was.

"What do you want? Haven't you done enough?" Yugi said, folding his arms and blocking the doorway as soon as he opened the door.

"Look, I'm sorry or whatever it is you want me to say. I'm hoping when he wakes up he'll be less of a sorry sack of shit and be more willing to listen. Since you're involved with all this as well, I want to talk to the two of you about what should be done next. So, when he wakes up, meet me in the main town square." Seto didn't give Yugi much of a chance to say anything else and walked off right after he was done talking.

"Fine, bye I guess."

Once he was back in the peace and quiet of the house, he went back to his book. His grandpa had started making some stew, and it the wonderful smells coming from the pot put a smile on his face. He hoped maybe eating something would help Atem gain some strength back.

"Any ideas on how he ended up as a dragon?" Solomon asked as he stirred the stew a few times.

"I really have no idea. We're so up north that I have no clue on what goes on in the south. I've never even been there before. He did say he was a prince. It's possible that it was some plot against him so he couldn't take the throne, but that's just a theory after all..more of a guess really."

Yugi didn't know the first thing about royals and all that they went through besides the kings of the north being stingy assholes. When the calamity befell their town by the mountains, the nearby kings did mostly nothing to help them. They sent some food caches over to them, but that was about it. They sat up in their lonely towers as the snow raged outside, sitting by their huge hearths where they never had to worry about even a single shiver. Here, Yugi and his grandpa had to gather all the lumber they could to keep their modest house warm enough to keep out the cold of winter. Yugi remembered some mornings after a nasty blizzard he would sometimes find people in the alleys or right out in the open frozen to death because they couldn't find shelter in time. He wasn't sure if the kingdoms in the south had similar problems besides the whole cold thing. Who knows? Maybe the kings were nicer down there. Atem certainly seemed nice enough.

About an hour later, Atem began to stir in the cot, making Yugi close his book and walk over to him. He checked his temperature with a hand to his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. His temperature felt normal which meant he didn't have a fever. What was strange was how warm his torso felt. There was definitely a heat source of some kind emanating from there. It must've had to do with the fact that he breathed fire a little while ago.

"Yugi?" Atem mumbled, slowly opening his eyes to see the other's face in close proximity to his own.

"O-oh! Sorry, haha, my grandpa made some stew if you want something to eat," Yugi stammered, immediately backing away to give him space. His entire face went hot as a red blush overtook his pale skin. Atem probably already thought he was some weird magician.

"It's not a problem. I know my handsomeness is quite eye catching," he said with a weak chuckle and a sly wink. "And I would love some stew. I can't remember the last time I ate something..as a human that is."

"You sly little.." Yugi thought to himself but managed to smile brightly at Atem. "Great! I'll get you a bowl. You just wait right here."

Yugi could still feel his cheeks burning even after he turned away to scoop some of the stew into a bowl. He certainly was a charmer that was for sure.

"Fine, two can play at that game," Yugi mumbled.

"What was that, Yugi?" Solomon asked from his rocking chair.

"N-nothing, nothing."

Just like that, the blush was already back, but he put his concentration into a spell. He used a simple levitation spell to make the bowl of stew float and had it float through the air over to Atem, settling right into his hands.

"Impressive," Atem hummed and immediately started to eat it. Yugi blinked as he had gobbled up all of the stew in the bowl in less than a minute.

"Uh, would you like some more? I didn't realize how hungry you really were." Yugi took the bowl from him and gave him another helping of the stew when he nodded.

"If you don't mind. I don't want to be the one eating all of it."

"Oh, it's fine. Grandpa and I already ate, and there's plenty left over."

Atem ate about three more bowls before he was satisfyingly full. He patted his stomach in bliss. Yugi couldn't help but chuckle when a puff of smoke came out of his mouth when he burped, and he quickly slapped a hand over his mouth in surprise.

"Don't worry. I'm starting to get used to your 'dragon powers' or whatever you want to call them. I think they're really cool. You know, coming from my being a magician and what not," Yugi said. He cast a tiny light spell and moved the twinkling orb of light around his fingers.

"Hmm, magicians like yourself are quite common in the south. They put on great shows and provide healing for people. From what I know of the north, they aren't as common. Many are seen as witches and sorcerers and hunted down. Is that true here? You seem rather open about being able to use magic," Atem asked with a curious look on his face.

"Yeah, most of that is true. It's fine for me since I'm in a pretty small town. You'd think it would be the opposite, but it's really not. If anything, magicians are at more risk of getting attacked, killed, or captured if they live near the main northern kingdoms where most of the hunters are. I'm actually safer in this town especially since the calamity since not many visit here. The people here know me and trust me since I've helped many here by using magic. They're not afraid of me, but yeah, if I did venture out to one of the kingdoms, I would definitely be in danger. That's why I don't plan to leave this place."

"Aren't you curious of the world outside of this town? I'm guessing you've never been to the south, probably just read about it. It's a beautiful place, and eventually I'm going to have to leave this town to get back to my own home. Will you stay here while I do that?"

"I am curious, sure, but is it really worth putting my life at risk? There are some hunters out there that can practically smell magic. There's no way I can hide from that. I'll help you out as much as I can, but I can't leave this place." Yugi gulped before placing his hand on top of Atem's. He could feel his cheeks turning hot again as he gave the other hand a squeeze. "I can't really explain it..but there's this strong feeling in me saying that I should protect you, so..I guess we'll see what happens, but I'm not planning for sure to leave, but if I have to, then I guess I won't have a choice."

"Do not worry. We'll figure all this out. The last thing I want to do is put you in danger. You are the one that saved me after all." Atem's smile was warm and inviting. He flipped his hand over so he could properly hold Yugi's hand. "Pardon me if this is too forward of me to say, but I feel as though I've known you for a long time. Perhaps we knew each other in a past life if you believe in that."

"You know, I feel something similar. You might be right about the whole past life thing. I can't say for sure, but there definitely is something about you that I'm drawn to. Can't really explain it though," Yugi chuckled, giving his hand another squeeze.

"There is nothing more that needs to be said." He smiled warmly and groaned a bit as he stretched his limbs out.

"Oh, right! Seto wanted us to meet him in the town square once you woke up. I guess we might as well go over there. If we don't, he's just going to come back here and bug me. Oh and here. I have some better clothes for you since the tunic you're wearing is all burnt up." Yugi went over to a dresser and pulled out some pants and a short tunic with the collar lined with fur. "These will help keep you warm too. It's still only late summer, but the winds from the mountains are still frigid, and it'll only get colder once autumn comes around." Yugi handed Atem the dark pants along with the dark green tunic. "I'll give you some privacy. You can come out when you're done changing."

Yugi gave a polite wave and headed out into the main living room, closing the bedroom door behind him. About ten minutes later, Atem emerged from the bedroom donning the new outfit. The pants hugged his legs tightly but provided a warm layer to keep them nice and toasty. The end of sleeves of the short tunic had a hole for his thumbs so his hands were slightly covered. The collar descended down in a shallow V lined with a bit of fox fur.

"Thank you for the clothes. I definitely needed some new ones."

"Wow, you look good in the northern fashions..not that you didn't look good in your long tunic without pants and stuff. You just look good in anything is all I'm saying!" Yugi stopped himself before he could blab on further, ending it with a nervous chuckle.

"Why, thank you, and I'm sure you'd look great in the southern fashions yourself," Atem said with another wink. "Well, lead the way to the town square. I'm curious to know just what that knight wants. I'm feeling a bit more confident now with food in my stomach, but my body still feels strange. It's like..I look like a human, but I don't feel altogether..human I guess."

"I was reading a book on curses that said that that can be a common thing when someone gets turned back into their original form. They carry elements of the last one, but I couldn't find anything on people getting turned into dragons. Whoever did this to you must be a very powerful sorcerer." Yugi lead the way once they were outside. The sun still shone brightly, and the town was still very busy with people going to and fro. Some noticed Atem and stared while others were too busy to notice.

"Indeed. I'm curious myself."

It was easy to spot Seto since he was still in his armor leaning up against a large post in the middle of the square. He stood completely upright once he noticed Yugi and Atem.

"Wow, you two are nearly a perfect match both in hair and height," Seto sneered, towering over them.

"We may be short but you have me, a magician, and Atem who has fire breath and probably other abilities that he hasn't discovered yet, so I'd be careful with the snide remarks," Yugi said, sticking his tongue out in a defiant manner.

"Hmph, whatever, magic nerd. Now that his highness is awake. I have a proposition for the both of you."

Yugi kept Atem behind him slightly. He didn't trust Seto at all, but they could at least hear him out. Maybe his plan could help them with getting Atem back to his home and recalling some of his memories.

"You see, I am the rightful heir to a kingdom to the west from here still by the mountains. I beat my adopted father in a duel, so he's out of the picture. My uncle serves as regent of the kingdom until I'm deemed worthy to take the throne. The people of my kingdom suffer greatly from curses and dark magic. These sorcerers hide up in the mountains, and I'm sure you can guess what's also in those mountains: dragons. One of my ultimate goals is to bring strength to my kingdom once again as their champion. That's why I've travelled far and wide to fight different kinds of great beasts. Ultimately, I want to rid the mountains of the dragons and find the sorcerers and make my people well again. I think you two could be of use to me, and we could start negotiations with other northern kingdoms to stop the witch hunts and only hunt down ones that use dark magic. How does that sound, little witch? Any questions?"

"I'm not a witch," Yugi huffed but considered all that he said. "Will Atem and I be guaranteed protection from any hunters or anyone wanting to do us harm?"

"You'll both have my protection. As long as you're with me, any hunter would be a fool to go after either of you. They'll lose a limb for just trying to do so. Now, if you're as smart as I think you are, you'll accept my offer. I'm sure it won't be long until word spreads of the terrifying dragon who crash landed here turning into a human. Soon, this place will be swarming with hunters and other filth. So, what's your answer?" It seemed that Seto's patience was growing thin as he started to tap his finger against his arm.

"Hold on! This is a lot to think about. I've never travelled outside of this town before."

"Tough luck. You have ten seconds." Seto began to count down his glare growing more irritated.

"Alright, alright! We'll accept your offer." Yugi bit down on his bottom lip, not even getting a chance to think about all this. He felt Atem's hand meet his and intertwine their fingers together. It was that little gesture of comfort that was keeping Yugi from losing it, and oh, he could easily lose it on Seto. He could cast every nasty spell he knew, but he knew better. He wasn't like the witches of the mountains. For now, him and Atem had to trust in each other if they were going to survive.


	5. Chapter 5

Yugi felt a tightness in his chest as he approached his house. His grandpa was out watering a few plants that they had planted around it. How would he even react? His grandpa was understanding with a lot of things, but saying he was going away for an unknown amount of time, and to the northern kingdoms of all things. Yugi knew he was well aware of how magic users were treated out there. If they weren't in service of a king, it was extremely dangerous. Of course, he did have Seto along with Atem, but it's not like Atem was in even less danger. For all he knew, he was still part dragon or had the remnants of the curse around him. With a deep breath, he suddenly blurted out everything.

"So, you're travelling outside the village, eh? Well, good for you. I was waiting for you to want to venture out, see the world even if it's just a little ways from here." He wore a cheerful grin once he listened to everything Yugi had to say.

"Wait, seriously? I mean, I'm going out there where there are witch hunters and all sorts of dangers. It's not like anything is going to happen to me, but it's just important that I help Atem figure out all that's happened to him and get him back to the southern kingdoms. I know it's a lot to ask especially with the harvest coming up. I'm usually the one that helps you out." Yugi often times forgot how old his grandpa even was with all the work he did.

"Oh? That won't be a problem. There are plenty of young boys and girls in town that can help me. I won't be alone in doing everything around here, and you'll be with that knight too. I'm sure you'll be well protected. You should take this chance. You might learn even more spells and become and even more powerful magician."

"W-well, thank you! Thanks so much, grandpa! I guess I'd better gather a few things. I think Seto wants to leave right away." Yugi hugged him tightly, lingering for a few seconds before running into the house. Him and Atem packed some supplies before heading out. Yugi hugged his grandpa once more, feeling a few tears well up in his eyes.

"I promise I'll get back here safely."

"And I promise that I will protect him. You have my word," Atem said, bowing slightly.

"I know you will and thank you," Solomon chuckled, patting Atem's head.

They came back to Seto to find he had another horse waiting for them. The speckled mare eyed them suspiciously, acting skittish around Atem.

"You two will be on the horse. There's no way you're going to be on the same horse as me," he said with his usual scowl.

"That's fine by us," Yugi said back. He hopped on first and offered a hand to Atem to help pull him up. The horses started with a trot as they made their way through the town and towards the narrow road leading out of it. Yugi felt his face heat up slightly when Atem's arms wrapped around his torso to stay on the horse.

"Sorry, I suppose I should've warned you first," he chuckled. "But I'd rather stay on the saddle once this horse starts galloping."

"Oh, it's okay. I don't mind." Yugi hoped his voice didn't sound too flustered.

The only road leading out of town was narrow and snaked through the sunken forest. Even with the bottom far below them, the trees still towered over and created a thick canopy above them. When he looked at it, Yugi still couldn't believe how much the very trees had changed since all this happened. Nature adapted much faster than the people did. He wondered how Atem felt when he saw all of this. He hoped he didn't feel overwhelming guilt. After all, who knows why he ended up crash landing here. Something must've driven him to that point. Another thought that crossed his mind was if the curse still remained on Atem, he wondered if he could still turn back into a dragon. If he can control it, then that might be helpful for whatever Seto wanted from them. It was something about witches and dragons in the mountains. Being sheltered in the town, Yugi had never came across a witch before. He was confident in his magic, but he doubted that he'd stand a chance against an actual witch let alone dragons too. Sure, Atem had been a dragon, but he didn't mean anyone any harm and had been weakened.

Once they were out from the narrow path and back into the regular woods, Seto's horse went into a gallop so Yugi had his do the same. He felt Atem clutch at his torso more now that the horse was going faster. The trees rushed past them, and Yugi began to wonder just how far this kingdom that Seto belonged to was. He hadn't mentioned how long it would take them, but maybe that meant it was close by. He said something about the mountains, and those were close. The sun was still high in the sky, shimmering down from the spaces in the leaves and onto the forest floor. Seto rode at a fast pace, not letting his horse slow down. They didn't see anyone else until they came upon a main road. They passed a few wagons, usually pulled by oxen or mules. Horses must be more of a luxury around here. As they came closer to the mountains, night was starting to set in. Unfortunately, the moon was covered up by a thick layer of clouds, cloaking the landscape in darkness. Light snow was beginning to fall. Finally, Seto slowed his horse and picked a spot a little ways off of the road to set up camp.

"We'll leave at the first light of dawn. We can't go much further in this darkness. How about dragon boy gets a fire started? Should be easy for him." Seto busied himself with sifting through the packs on his horse's saddle.

"How do you expect us to find any kindling for the fire in the dark?" Yugi asked, placing his hands on his hips, though he knew Seto was far from intimidated.

"Can't you use light magic? Make yourself useful and use it."

"Unbelievable," Yugi sighed and turned to Atem. "I don't cast very well out in the elements like this, but I'll try. Don't suppose you can make yourself glow just in case?"

"I suppose I could try. We'll do this together, okay?" Yugi could hardly see Atem's expression with how dark it was getting, but he knew it was an encouraging look. With a deep breath, Yugi whispered a spell under his breath. With a bit of will power, a soft glow of white light emanated from his left hand, lighting up the area around him a little more. He watched in amazement as Atem also concentrated, and his whole body glowed a faint red. His scarlet eyes seemed to sparkle like the stars hidden above the thick clouds above them. The two exchanged excited smiles and ventured out to gather kindling for the fire. With a bit of work and a spit of bright purple and red fire from Atem, the fire was soon going strong. They gathered around it thankfully. The heat was rejuvenating to Yugi, breathing life back into his hands that had been on the verge of going numb. He wondered if Atem even got cold with the fire that was still inside of him. Must be useful to always have a heat source. No more words were exchanged between them and Seto for the rest of the night. He was all about business and didn't seem to have the time or want to make small talk with either Yugi or Atem. Once Seto had fallen asleep, Yugi followed soon after. He draped a heavy blanket over himself and curled up close to Atem for warmth. Like the fire, Atem seemed to radiate heat, and Yugi wanted to stick close to that as more snow began to fall. The fluffy snowflakes swirled around in the air before making contact with the ground. If Yugi wasn't so exhausted, he would watch the falling snow for hours. His sleep was mostly peaceful until a few hours later when he heard Atem's voice followed by three other ones that didn't sound familiar. When he peeked one eye open, he saw Atem standing, fists up, and it looked like he was fending off three strangers.

"Step aside, shortie, before we have to make you," one of them laughed, and it sent a shiver down Yugi's spine. He glanced over to Seto who was still dead asleep. Some knight.

"We smell magic and curses all over your group here. We'll just take whoever the witch is and go." The man wore a conniving smile and shoved Atem back, but he continued to stand his ground, not faltering.

"Leave us be before I have to make you. You're the intruders here."

Yugi felt himself starting to sweat as the air around the whole camp started to heat up. Even the freshly fallen snow began to melt. It had to be Atem.

"Ooh, this one smells of magic too, a strong magic. We should take this southerner too."

Yugi shivered as he could feel the tangible rage in the air coming to a head. He sprung up when one of the men walked forward with a cocky smile and latched a hand onto Atem's arm.

"No, don't!" Yugi called out, but it fell on deaf ears.

The heat in the air exploded into a fury around Atem. Violet flames licked the air, surrounding Atem until only his silhouette could be the seen. The hunter screamed in agony as his arm was engulfed in flames, quickly forming painful welts along his skin. The other two pulled him back and watched in horror as the silhouette changed shape and grew larger. Soon, the serpentine shape towered over all of them. When the flames cleared, a crimson, serpent like dragon stood over them and let out a deafening roar. The roar sounded like it could practically clear out the night. Yugi acted quickly, punching his leg to get himself running, getting between them and the dragon.

"I summon! Come to my side, Stag of Eternity!" A summoning circle of light formed beneath Yugi. The light that emerged from it was practically blinding, but it was something Yugi was used to. He had Atem to thank for this. When the forest transformed, the creatures of light appeared, and he had spent much time practicing his magic around them, even befriending a few. In an instant, a gigantic phantom stag stood beside him. Its piercing eyes bore into the ones of the three hunters. Between that and the dragon about to roast them alive, they took off running.

"Let's help Atem now," Yugi said to the stag. It gave a nod and turned to look up at the dragon. Even with his bond with the stag, he was still unable to hear what its thoughts were. He hoped that with time and practice, maybe he'll get that gift.

"Atem! It's okay now. They're gone, and we're safe. You can turn back into yourself now." Yugi had no idea if his words were getting through, but he hoped they did with the stag's help.

"What the hell?" Yugi hadn't even noticed that Seto had been watching the entire time, sword drawn and ready. "You better get him turned back to normal. I'm not arriving at the castle with a dragon in tow."

"Please, Atem," Yugi whispered and placed a hand on one of his claws." He swore he saw the dragon nod, seeming to understand. The stag pushed Yugi away as the flames returned again. All of them watched as the silhouette shrank further and further until it was human size and shape again. When the flames vanished, Atem stood there, skin glowing faintly. With its job done, the stag became fainter and fainter until it disappeared altogether.

"Thank you for your help," Yugi whispered to the stag.

"I'm sorry to have frightened you. I didn't want those scum bags laying their hands on you," Atem said softly. He walked forward, glancing down apologetically.

"There's no need to be sorry. I'm just glad we're both okay. I thought you had lost control or something. I wasn't sure if you'd be able to turn back into a human."

"Well, I guess I had it in me all along. I'm just as surprised as you are. I didn't think I still had the ability to transform. The control is there, but like your magic, it'll need some practice," Atem chuckled, taking Yugi's hands in his own without a second thought.

For once, Seto had nothing else to say, shaking his head as he sat back down by the fire.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he muttered, busying himself with polishing his sword.

They were unbothered by any travelers or hunters for the rest of the night. Yugi hoped that hearing a dragon's roar deterred people from walking over by their camp and maybe they'd at least get some peace and quiet.


End file.
